Car-coupling



(No Model.) Q

S. F. HEATH & H. A. THAYER.

CAR COUPLING.

Patented Jan. 1, 1889.

Units STATES PATEr rr cn.

STARLING F. HEATH AND HAYDEN A. THAYER, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,391, dated January 1, 1889.

Application filed December 15, 1887. Serial No. 257,967. (No model.)

To (all 1071 0771. it may concern.-

Be it known that we, STARLING F. HEATH and HAYDEN A. THAYER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Oouplin gs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for coupling cars, and especially freight cars, though adapted for use on passenger-cars also.

The object of the invention is to devise a car-coupling whereby cars of different heights may be coupled together, and whereby a car provided with a link-and-pin coupling may be coupled to a car provided with the coupling herein described.

A further object is to devise a coupling wherewith freight and other cars may be uncoupled without going in between the cars, our arrangement enabling the operation to be performed from the roof of the car or from the side of the car near the ground.

Our invention accordingly consists in the construction and arrangement herein after described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the features of novelty for which protection is desired being specified in the claims at the end of this description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this description, and in which like figures of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a coupling embodyin our improvements. Fig. 2 a li ottom plan view of said coupling. cam and shaft whereby the couplings are disconnected. Fig. l is a detail in perspective showing the means for operating the couplings. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a pair of couplings in operative connection, and Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal sectional view through one of the coupling-hez'lds.

Referring to the drawings, 0 indicates the coupling-head, which somewhat in the form of an arrow-head, the top and bottom surfaces ll'lClGdSlllg in thickness from the front to the rear, as shown. Onthe jaws of the coupling-head, one of the bearing-surfaces, as at 7 1s preferably made concave, while the other, as at 8, is convex, this construction pro- Fig. 3 is a detached view of the viding a uniform bearing-surface while the cars are passing around curves. The coupling-heads are all made alike,so that they are readily interchangeable, as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings.

The extension 9 at the hack of the head of the coupling is adapted to be secured to the draw-bar 10 by means of bolts 11, or by other suitable means, the draw-bar 10 being fastened to the car in the usual way. 12 indicates a grip, which is fastened in a stationary manner to the car and serves as a support or bearing for the springs 13, which pass therethrough and are connected at their rear ends by bolts 14 or otherwise to the draw-bar 10. The coupling-extension 9 rests upon and is supported by the forward end of springs 13, as shown.

In the head 0 of the coupling there is formed a slot, 15, which is adapted to receive the link of the usual link-and-pin coupling when it is desired to couple a car provided with that style of coupling with a car provided with our improved coupling, and 16 indicates the hole extending vertically through that portion of the coupling-head in which slot 15 is located to receive the pin whereby the link is held in the slot.

In the rear of slot 15 in the coupling-head there is provided a socket, 17, to receive a cam, 18, which is fast upon a shaft, 19, which has its bearing in the diamctrical bore .20. The shaft 19 protrudes beyond one side of the coupling-head, as shown in Fig. 4L, and receives the means for uncoupling, as hereinafter explained.

Secured by bolt or otherwise to the top sur' face of extension 9 of the coupling there is a flat spring, 21, which co-operates with cam18 to disconnect the coupling-jaws when shaft 19, to which cam 18 is fixedly attached, is operated by the means shown for that purpose. \Vhen the coupling-heads are operatively connected, the under jaw of the uppermost coupling-head rests upon spring 21, and said spring at its front end overlaps the cam 18, so that when the cam is revolved, in the act of uncoupling, the spring 21. is thrown up slightly above the upper surface of the upper jaw of the lower coupling-head, thus insuring the complete separation of the two couplings.

The means which we prefer to employ for separating the couplin when it is desired to uncouple two cars provided with couplings embodying our improvement are shown in Fig. 4, in which view 22 is a piece of flat iron connected at one end with shaft 19 and extending downward and having its other end connected to bar 23, which extends a short distance under the car in the direction of its length. Near the outer end of bar 23 there is secured a lug, 24, to the upper end of which a bar, 25, is attached, which bar projects later ally outside of the car-body and is provided upon its end with a crank or handle, 26, for operating the same when it is desired to give motion to shaft 1.) to throw up cam 19 to uncouple the ears.

To release the couplings from the roof of the car, which is often desirable, especially on freight-cars, the rod 27 is employed in connection with the operating means 22 and 23, above described, the said rod 27 being suitably secured to or near the sill or platform of the car and extending to the roof, where it is provided with a crank or handle, as usual. Secured to the lower end of rod 27 is a chain, 28, which is also connected to a lug on bar 23, and by which, as it is wound upon. rod 27 when said rod is revolved, the outer end of said bar 23 will be sufficiently elevated to give the requisite motion to shaft 19 for changing the position of cam 18 in its socket.

Having thus described our inventionfwhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A car-coupling head provided with two attaching-jaws and with a socket in. the rear of one of said jaws, in combination with a cam located in said socket on a shaft extending transversely through the coupling-head, and a Hat spring secured to the extension of the coupling-head and eo-operatin g with the cam, substantially as set forth.

2. A'pair of car-coupling heads, each provided with two attaching-jaws and with a socket in the rear of one of said jaws, in combination with cams located in. said sockets on shafts extending transversely through the coupling-heads, a flat spring secured to the extension of each coupling head, and appliances connected to said transverse shafts for actuating the same from the side or roof of the car, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a pair of couplin heads, each provided with two attaching-jaws and with a socket in the rear of one of said jaws, in combination with releasing-cams located in said sockets on shafts extending transversely through the coupling-heads, and appliances :t'or-operatin g said shafts, consisting of bar 22, rod 23, and rod and chain 27 and 28, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Fitehburg, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, this 18th day of November, A. D. 1887.

STARLING F. HEATH. HAYDEN A. THAYER.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN GREEN, J AMES Pins. 

